UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

College  of  agriculture 
BERKELEY 


Agricultural  Experiment  Station 

BENJ.     IDE     WHEELER,     PRESIDENT 
THOMAS     FORSYTH     HUNT,     DEAN    AND     DIRECTOR 


CIRCULAR  NO.  81 

(October,  1912) 

SWEET    PEA  GROWING   CLUBS 

CALIFORNIA  JUNIOR   EXPERIMENTAL   LEAGUE 


BY 

F.    L.   GRIFFIN 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA   PRESS 
BERKELEY 


THE  SWEET  PEA  GROWING  CLUBS 


Why  grow  Sweet  Peas?  The  Sweet  Pea  is  called  the  "Queen  of 
the  Annuals"  because  it  combines  beauty  of  form,  blending  of  color, 
and  fragrance  to  a  degree  excelled  by  no  other  flower.  Few  plants 
respond  so  quickly  to  good  cultural  treatment  as  will  the  Sweet  Pea, 
and  few  plants  will  give  such  a  continuous  display  of  flowers.  Cali- 
fornia has  such  a  range  of  soil  and  climate  especially  adapted  to 
growing  the  Sweet  Peas  that  boys  and  girls  in  all  parts  of  the  state 
can  enter  a  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Contest  upon  nearly  equal  terms  so 
far  as  conditions  of  growth  are  concerned. 

The  Object  in  Forming  Clubs.  Since  the  Sweet  Pea  can  be  grown 
so  easily  in  California  and  is  so  useful  in  decorating  the  home  grounds, 
we  want  to  show  the  world  that  we  can  grow  better  flowers  of  this 
species  than  any  other  place  in  the  world.  By  forming  Sweet  Pea 
Growing  Clubs  in  each  school,  every  boy  and  girl  will  be  given  the 
chance  to  see  who  can  grow  and  exhibit  the  most  beautiful  collection 
of  these  flowers.  In  addition  to  the  honor  of  having  grown  the 
choicest  collection  of  Sweet  Peas,  the  successful  contestants  in  each 
club  will  receive  certificates  of  merit  as  well  as  special  prizes.  The 
nature  and  amount  of  these  prizes  will  be  announced  later. 

Divisions  of  Contest.  To  give  every  boy  and  girl  the  greatest  pos- 
sible opportunity  to  receive  an  honorable  mention,  in  addition  to  other 
awards  for  joining  the  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Clubs,  the  contest  has  been 
divided  into  two  divisions. 

In  Division  A,  the  awards  will  be  given  to  the  boys  and  girls  who 
make  the  best  display  of  Sweet  Peas  in  an  exhibition  to  be  held  by 
each  club  at  the  end  of  the  contest.  In  addition  to  this  exhibit,  each 
contestant  must  present  a  notebook,  describing  all  of  the  work  done 
from  the  spading  of  the  soil  to  the  gathering  of  the  flowers.  (See 
Report  Blank  A  on  page  14.) 

In  Division  B,  a  grand  prize  (which  will  be  announced  later)  and 
special  certificates  of  merit  (issued  by  the  College  of  Agriculture, 
University  of  California)  will  be  given  to  the  boys  and  girls  through- 
out the  state  who  undertake  and  carry  through  to  completion  at  least 
five  of  the  experiments  outlined  in  this  circular  and  who  present  the 


best  written  report  concerning  every  detail  of  the  experiments. 
(Suggestions  for  making  out  this  report  will  be  found  on  page  14.) 
Boys  and  girls  entering  the  contest  under  the  provisions  of 
Division  B  will  be  enrolled  as  members  of  the  California  Junior 
Experimental  League.  This  league  has  for  its  chief  aim  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  of  Scientific  Agriculture  to  the  end  that  every  boy  and 
girl  who  is  interested  in  this  fundamental  and  most  important  of  all 
occupations,  will  know  how  to  grow  and  care  for  plants  and  animals 
in  the  very  best  possible  manner.  The  league  will  have  its  head- 
quarters in  the  College  of  Agriculture,  University  of  California,  thus 
placing  every  member  in  direct  contact  with  the  State  University. 

Directions  and  Utiles  for  the  Contest.  1.  Every  school  in  the  State 
of  California  is  entitled  to  organize  one  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Club. 
Each  club  may  adopt  any  form  of  constitution  and  by-laws  it  sees  fit, 
or  it  may  exist  as  a  loose  organization,  with  only  temporary  officers. 

2.  The  teachers  and  principal  of  each  school  will  assist  in  forming 
the  club  in  that  school  and  all  that  any  boy  or  girl  will  have  to  do  to 
join  will  be  to  ask  his  teacher  or  principal  to  enroll  him  as  a  member 
of  the  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Club  of  that  school.  Special  blanks  can  be 
prepared,  or  the  form  printed  on  page  15  of  this  circular  can  be  used 
for  this  purpose. 

3.  Boys  and  girls  attending  school  where  no  club  wil  be  formed  this 
year  may  join  the  Special  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Club  by  filling  out  the 
enrollment  blank  on  page  16  of  this  circular.  Both  the  School  and 
Special  Clubs  will  contest  under  the  provisions  of  Division  A,  and 
no  one  will  be  permitted  to  join  the  Special  Club  who  is  attending  a 
school  supporting  its  own  club.  The  Special  Club  is  for  the  boys  and 
girls  throughout  the  state  who  do  not  have  the  opportunity  to  join  a 
local  school  club.  Boys  and  girls,  who  for  any  reason  are  not  attend- 
ing school,  may  join  the  Special  Club. 

4.  Boys  and  girls  wishing  to  contest  according  to  the  provisions  of 
Division  B  will  be  enrolled  in  the  California  Junior  Experimental 
League  by  filling  out  the  lower  blank  on  page  15  of  this  circular. 

5.  Contestants  who  enroll  in  either  Division  A  or  B  shall  receive 
no  direct  assistance  in  carrying  out  the  details  of  the  contest,  other 
than  the  suggestions  received  from  friends  or  by  reading. 

6.  Membership  in  the  Sweet  Pea  Clubs  will  be  limited  to  boys  and 
girls  who  are  not  over  sixteen  years  of  age. 

7.  Membership  in  the  California  Junior  Experimental  League  is 
limited  to  boys  and  girls  over  twelve  years  of  age. 


HOW  TO  GEOW  SWEET  PEAS 

When  to  Plant.  As  this  circular  will  have  state-wide  distribution 
and  as  California  has  such  a  diversity  of  soil  and  climate,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  prescribe  any  one  best  date  or  even  month  in  which  to  plant 
Sweet  Peas.  Our  recommendations  concerning  when  to  plant  must 
be  general,  and  if  you  are  in  doubt,  consult  some  seedsman,  flower- 
lover,  or  write  to  the  address  given  in  paragraph  3  under  rules  for 
the  contest. 

Over  a  large  part  of  the  state  we  may  begin  planting  in  September 
and  continue  until  May,  remembering,  however,  that  the  earliest 
flowers  are  generally  produced  from  the  earliest  planted  seed.  Sep- 
tember, October,  November  and  February  are  good  months  in  which 
to  plant.  A  prominent  California  seedsman  states  that  in  the  cities 
bordering  San  Francisco  Bay,  as  well  as  in  Santa  Cruz  and  Monterey 
and  all  other  places  having  similar  climatic  conditions,  Sweet  Peas  can 
be  sown  as  late  as  May  1  with  good  success.  Much  more  depends  upon 
the  condition  of  the  soil,  however,  than  upon  the  date  of  planting, 
a  fact  every  contestant  should  remember. 

Experiment  1.     Division  B 

The  object  of  the  experiment  is  to  determine,  if  possible,  when  is  the  best 
time  to  plant  Sweet  Peas  in  your  city  and  county. 

Method:  Select  a  strip  of  land  two  feet  wide  and  at  least  twelve  feet  long, 
having  as  uniform  soil  conditions  as  possible.  Drive  stakes  at  each  of  the  four 
corners  of  the  plat  and  connect  them  with  a  stout  piece  of  twine.  Now  divide 
the  bed  into  small  plats  each  two  feet  long  and  two  feet  wide.  Each  month, 
spade  up  and  plant  one  plat  to  Sweet  Peas.  Keep  this  up  for  at  least  five 
months,  and  if  you  have  land  and  time  enough,  try  and  have  plantings  made 
during  each  month  from  September  to  and  including  May. 

Caution. — The  seed  should  be  from  the  same  source  for  all  the  plantings, 
that  is,  plant  all  the  plats  from  the  same  packet  of  seeds.  Do  not  spade  up  a 
plat  until  a  few  days  before  planting.  Try  and  plant  on  or  as  near  the  same 
day  each  month  as  possible.  Finally,  give  each  plat  the  same  amount  of  atten- 
tion and  care.  By  August  15,  1913,  a  report  will  be  required  from  each 
experimenter,  describing  fully  the  methods  and  results  of  this  experiment. 

Where  to  Plant.  Sweet  Peas  do  best  in  partly  shaded  locations, 
hence  in  selecting  our  flower  bed  we  should  so  arrange  it  that  the 
flowers  will  be  in  the  shade  some  time  during  the  day.  There  are  some 
varieties  of  Sweet  Peas  having  very  delicate  shades  that  will  "burn" 
badly  when  exposed  to  the  strong  sun,  and  it  is  necessary  to  provide 
artificial  shade.  Mosquito  netting  is  recommended  as  being  the  best 
to  use  as  it  will  provide  sufficient  shade  and  can  be  easily  stretched 
over  the  wire  netting  or  stakes  to  which  the  vines  are  clinging. 


Sweet  Peas  will  make  a  most  pleasing  effect  when  planted  so  that 
they  will  have  as  a  background  a  fence,  a  hedge,  some  shrubbery,  or 
a  building.  In  such  locations  they  should  be  planted  in  long,  narrow 
beds. 

When  grown  in  the  open  garden,  exposed  to  the  full  rays  of  the 
sun,  the  rows  should  run  north  and  south,  so  that  all  of  the  plants 
may  receive  a  nearly  equal  amount  of  sunshine  and  shade. 

If  you  cannot  plant  in  long  beds  or  in  rows  in  the  garden,  use 
little  beds  one  to  two  feet  in  diameter  scattered  along  the  fence  or 
yard  boundaries,  and  support  the  vines  with  stakes  or  circular  pieces 
of  wire  netting. 

Experiment  2.     Division  B 

The  object  of  this  experiment  is  to  find  what  effect  shading  will  have  upon 
the  growth  and  vigor  of  the  plants  and  the  coloration  of  the  flowers. 

Method:  Plant  two  small  beds  of  Sweet  Peas.  Locate  one  bed  so  that  the 
plants  will  receive  a  maximum  amount  of  sunshine.  locate  the  other  so  that 
its  plants  will  receive  a  maximum  amount  of  shade. 

Or,  plant  a  bed  of  Sweet  Peas  in  the  open  ground.  After  the  flower  buds 
begin  to  appear  shade  one-half  of  the  bed  with  fine  mosquito  netting,  coarse 
cheese  cloth,  or  some  other  material  that  will  not  prevent  all  of  the  sun's  rays 
from  reaching  the  plants,  and  leave  the  other  half  of  the  bed  unprotected. 

Caution. — Plant  seeds  of  only  one  variety  in  this  experiment.  Take  special 
pains  so  that  all  of  the  plants  will  receive  the  same  amount  of  cultivation, 
food  and  other  care,  so  that  you  can  be  sure  that  whatever  difference  there  is 
between  the  shaded  and  unshaded  plants  can  be  attributed  to  the  effects  of 
shading. 

Preparing  the  Seed  Bed.  The  soil  should  contain  enough  moisture 
so  that  it  can  be  worked  easily  and  cause  all  the  clods  to  crumble 
when  touched  with  the  hoe  or  rake.  If  the  rains  have  not  softened 
the  proposed  seed  bed  sufficiently,  the  soil  should  be  thoroughly  wet 
down  two  or  three  days  before  you  are  ready  to  spade. 

Two  methods  may  be  used  in  preparing  the  soil  for  planting. 

The  first  method  is  to  give  the  proposed  seed  bed  a  liberal  coating 
of  well-rotted  manure  and  then  spade  it  under  in  the  usual  manner. 
The  successive  steps  in  the  process  are  as  follows : 

1.  Dig  a  hole  at  one  end  of  the  proposed  bed  two  feet  wide  and  a 
foot  deep,  taking  the  soil  thus  removed  to  a  place  near  the  other  end 
of  the  plot. 

2.  Now,  after  placing  the  edge  of  the  spade  or  fork  about  four 
inches  from  the  edge  of  the  hole,  push  it  straight  down,  using  foot 
pressure  to  aid  you. 


3.  Separate  this  spadeful  of  earth  from  the  rest  of  the  soil  by 
levering,  or  pushing  back  on  the  top  of  the  shovel  or  fork  handle,  and 
then  throwing  the  "soil  slice"  upside  down  in  the  hole,  mixing  the 
manure  with  the  soil  in  the  process. 

4.  Proceed  right  along  in  this  manner,  filling  up  one  hole  by 
digging  another,  until  the  whole  bed  is  spaded,  and  then  filling  up  the 
the  last  hole  with  the  earth  removed  from  the  first. 

The  second  method  of  preparing  the  seed  bed  is  perhaps  better 
known  as  the  trench  method,  and  it  is  used  by  all  good  gardeners 
when  preparing  an  extra  fine  seed  bed  for  either  flowers  or  vegetables. 

Using  stakes  and  stout  twine,  mark  off  the  boundaries  of  your 
Sweet  Pea  bed,  making  it  about  two  feet  wide  and  as  long  as  desired. 
Give  this  bed  a  liberal  coating  of  old  stable  manure,  as  well  as  a  good 
dressing  of  bone  meal,  if  you  can  obtain  this  last  named  fertilizer. 
It  is  our  purpose  to  stir  the  soil  in  this  bed  to  a  depth  of  two  or  three 
feet,  if  possible,  because  experience  has  shown  that  the  deeper  and 
finer  the  seed  bed,  other  things  being  equal,  the  more  food  and  water 
the  plants  can  obtain.  The  successive  steps  in  the  trench  method  are 
as  follows : 

1.  Dig  a  hole  at  one  end  of  the  plat,  two  feet  square  and  one  foot 
deep. 

2.  AYheel  or  carry  the  soil  thus  removed  and  dump  it  in  a  pile  near 
the  other  end  of  the  bed. 

3.  Dig  up  the  subsoil  thus  exposed  as  deeply  as  possible  with  the 
spade  or  a  pick,  mixing  in  some  manure  with  the  lumps  of  earth  and 
then  fining  the  whole  mass  as  much  as  possible. 

•i.  Dig  up  the  next  two  square  feet  of  surface  to  a  depth  of  one 
foot,  throwing  it  upside  down  upon  the  subsoil  that  has  just  been 
broken,  thoroughly  mixing  the  manure  and  bone  meal  with  the  surface 
soil  in  the  process. 

5.  Again  break  up  the  newly  exposed  subsoil  and  then  cover  it  with 
inverted  surface  soil  as  before,  continuing  this  process  until  the  entire 
bed  is  worked  over. 

6.  After  breaking  up  the  subsoil  in  the  hole  which  is  left  at  the 
end  of  the  bed,  we  will  fill  it  with  the  earth  obtained  in  making  the 
first  hole,  thus  leaving  our  seed  bed  level,  although  perhaps  a  trifle 
higher  than  the  surrounding  unworked  ground. 

The  trench  system  of  spading  is  really  not  so  laborious  as  it  sounds, 
but  it  does  require  more  backbone  than  the  common  method.  However, 
the  extra  fine  Sweet  Peas  that  can  be  grown  in  such  well  prepared  soil 
will  certainly  more  than  pay  anyone  for  this  extra  pffort. 


Experiment  3.     Division  B 

Object:  To  find  out  if  the  trench  system  of  spading  will  really  produce 
better  Sweet  Peas  than  the  ordinary  method. 

Method:  Select  a  piece  of  ground  two  feet  wide  and  eighteen  feet  long, 
all  of  which  has  had  the  same  treatment  in  previous  years  and  which  is  uniform 
in  its  texture  and  composition. 

Divide  this  bed  into  four  plats,  each  two  by  three  feet,  leaving  a  space  two 
feet  wide  between  each  plat.  Mark  or  call  these  plats  No.  1,  2,  3,  and  4, 
respectively.  Do  not  spade  or  touch  the  little  spaces  between  each  plat,  as 
they  will  serve  to  prevent  the  plants  grown  in  one  plat  from  getting  the 
benefit  of  the  extra  tillage  or  manure  that  are  given  the  others. 

Prepare  the  seed  bed  in  Plat  1  by  simply  breaking  the  ground  three  or  four 
inches  deep  with  the  hoe  and  then  leveling  and  fining  the  soil  with  a  rake. 
Use  no  other  tools  on  Plat  1. 

Prepare  Plat  2  by  the  ordinary  system  of  spading,  as  outlined  in  the  general 
directions.      (First  method.) 

Prepare  Plat  3  by  the  trench  system,  which  is  also  outlined  in  the  general 
directions.     (Second  method.) 

Leave  out  all  fertilizers  in  Plats  1,  2,  and  3  as  we  wish  to  demonstrate  the 
benefits  of  tillage  only. 

Prepare  Plat  4  by  the  trench  system,  but  include  the  manure  as  this  will 
give  a  check  on  Plat  3  and  enable  us  to  find  out  the  extent  to  which  manure 
has  helped. 

Plant  all  of  the  plats  on  the  same  day  and  use  the  same  kind  of  seed. 
Water  and  cultivate  all  the  plats  the  same  way,  at  the  same  time. 

In  your  report,  which  should  be  submitted  by  August  15,  1913,  describe  the 
effect  which  the  different  kinds  of  tillage  and  the  manure  has  had  upon  the 
Sweet  Peas.  How  did  it  effect  the  growth,  vigor  and  height  of  the  vines  and 
the  color  and  abundance  of  the  flowers? 


Planting  the  Seed 

After  the  seed  bed  has  been  properly  prepared, — if  it  is  very  loose, 
firm  it  by  treading, — make  a  little  V-shaped  furrow  with  the  hoe, 
about  three  inches  deep.  Drop  the  seed  into  the  furrow,  four  inches 
apart,  but  if  all  the  seeds  grow  the  resulting  plants  will  have  to  be 
thinned.  Cover  the  seed  to  a  depth  of  one  inch,  leaving  the  balance 
of  the  furrow  to  be  filled  in  later.  Some  growers  prefer  to  soak  the 
seed  in  water  for  twenty-four  hours  before  planting,  as  they  find  that 
such  treatment  hastens  germination. 

Experiment  4.     Division  B 

Object:  To  determine  whether  or  not  soaking  seeds  in  water  or  notching 
the  dry  seed  coat  will  hasten  germination. 

Method:    Divide  a  packet  containing  100  or  more  seeds  into  three  equal  parts. 
Lot  No.  1,  plant  in  the  dry  condition. 


Lot  No-  2,  cut  off  with  a  knife  a  small  portion  of  the  seed-coat  of  a  dry 
seed,  making  the  cut  or  notch  on  the  side  opposite  the  eye  or  sprouting  end 
of  the  seed. 

Lot  No.  3,  place  in  water  to  soak  at  the  time  lots  1  and  2  are  placed  in  the 
ground.    After  soaking  just  twenty-four  hours  remove  from  the  water  and  plant. 

Prepare  a  seed  bed  wide  enough  to  contain  three  parallel  rows  six  to  eight 
inches  apart  and  each  row  should  be  long  enough  to  receive  all  the  seeds  of  one 
lot,  planting  the  seeds  one  inch  apart  in  the  row. 

Caution. — Have  the  soil  condition  the  same  throughout  the  bed.  Be  sure  and 
plant  all  the  seeds  at  the  same  depth.  This  can  be  most  accurately  done  by 
leveling  and  fining  the  seed  bed  and  then  dropping  each  seed  in  a  little  hole 
made  with  a  dibble  so  made  that  it  can  only  penetrate  one  inch  into  the  ground. 
Each  contestant  should  design  and  made  his  own  dibble. 

Keep  an  accurate  account  of  the  treatment  and  number  of  seeds  and  dates 
of  appearance  of  plants  in  the  different  rows.-     Arrange  the  results  as  follows: 

Lot  1  Lot  2  Lot  3 

1st  day  

2nd  day   

3rd  day  

etc.,  In  these  spaces  indicate  each  day  the  number  of 

for  14  days  Sweet  Peas  appearing  in  each  row. 

Send  in  this  report  with  a  sketch  of  your  dibble  by  August  15,  1913. 

Selection  of  Varieties 

Seedsmen  have  grouped  Sweet  Peas  into  four  types  or  classes,  viz : 

1.  The  Early  Flowering,  Christmas  or  Tournament  Type.  As 
the  names  will  suggest,  this  is  an  early  flowering  type  and  if  planted 
in  early  September  the  plants  should  be  in  blossom  by  Thanksgiving 
and  in  full  bloom  by  Christmas.  In  Southern  California  they  will 
blossom  all  winter. 

If  any  club  should  decide  to  make  their  contest  an  effort  to  raise 
early  flowers  for  a  Christmas  exhibit,  this  will  be  the  type  of  Sweet 
Pea  to  grow.    Pink,  white  and  lavender  colors  predominate  in  this  class. 

2.  The  Cupids  or  Dwarf  Class  are  often  grown  in  pots  and 
window  boxes,  or  used  for  borders,  as  they  are  a  low  growing, 
sprawling  type.  While  the  flowers  are  of  good  size,  they  are  borne 
on  short  stems,  hence  will  be  undesirable  for  the  purposes  of  this 
contest. 

3.  The  Grandiflora  Type  is  very  popular  and  commonly  grown. 
The  seed  is  inexpensive.  All  the  hooded  and  shell-shaped  varieties  are 
in  this  class,  as  well  as  the  best  open  form,  round  standard  types. 
The  members  of  this  class  are  often  referred  to  as  the  Eckfords.  This 
type  is  especially  adapted  for  the  B  division  of  the  contest. 


9 

4.  The  Spencer  or  Waved  Varieties  are  fast  becoming  the  most 
noted  of  all  the  Sweet  Peas,  although  originated  only  ten  years  ago 
in  England.  The  type  is  characterized  by  its  vigorous  vines,  bearing 
an  abundance  of  large  flowers  on  long  stems,  usually  four  to  a  stem. 
They  are  the  best  of  all  Sweet  Peas  for  exhibition  purposes.  They 
set  very  few  seed  pods  and  will  therefore  continue  to  blossom  for  a 
longer  period  than  the  other  types.  All  contestants  in  Division  A  of 
the  contest  should  plant  Spencers  if  they  possibly  can. 

Seedsmen's  lists  and  catalogues  present  a  bewildering  number  of 
varieties  of  Sweet  Peas  to  select  from,  but  club  members  should  assume 
the  responsibility  of  selecting  the  varieties  they  plant,  as  it  may  count 
a  point  in  their  favor  if  they  do  so.  Send  to  some  reliable  seed  house 
for  its  flower  or  Sweet  Pea  catalogue  as  soon  as  possible  and  make  an 
early  selection.  It  is  permissable,  however,  to  allow  somebody  else 
to  make  the  selection  and  the  seedsman's  advice  will  perhaps  be  most 
reliable  in  this  case.  In  either  event,  plant  only  those  varieties  that 
bear  flowers  of  a  pure  or  self  color.  Do  not  have  a  mixture  of  colors 
for  exhibition  purposes. 

For  the  convenience  of  club  members  a  few  of  the  leading  Cali- 
fornia seed  houses  are  mentioned. 

1.  Campbell  Seed  House,  Pasadena,  Cal. 

(This  firm  makes  a  specialty  of  the  Tournament  or  Early  Flowering 
type.) 

2.  California  Seed  Company,  San  Francisco. 

3.  Morris  &  Snow  Seed  Company,  Los  Angeles. 

4.  Trumbell  Seed  Company,  San  Francisco. 

5.  Germain  Seed  Company,  Los  Angeles. 

6.  Chas.  Winsell  Seed  Company,  Los  Angeles. 

7.  The  Hallawell  Seed  Company,  San  Francisco. 

8.  C.  C.  Morse  &  Company,  San  Francisco. 

(This  firm  has  just  issued   a   special  booklet   on   Sweet   Pea   Culture 
which  will  be  sent  free  to  all  who  request  it.) 

Thinning  and  Cultivating.  As  soon  as  the  plants  are  two  or  three 
inches  high  they  should  be  thinned  to  a  distance  of  twelve  inches 
apart,  and  the  more  vigorous  growing  varieties  will  do  better  if 
eighteen  inches  apart.  Crowding  reduces  the  number  and  size  of  the 
flowers. 

Now  gradually  fill  in  the  trench  in  which  the  plants  are  growing, 
by  drawing  in  some  earth  each  time  they  are  cultivated.  After  the 
last  rain,  the  Sweet  Peas  should  be  well  hoed,  or  mulched  with  old 
manure  if  possible.  If  a  manure  or  straw  mulch  is  not  used,  a  dust 
mulch  several  inches  deep  will  prevent  the  loss  of  moisture. 


10 

Experiment  5.     Division  B 
Object:    Does  thinning  really  produce  more  and  larger  flowers? 
Method:    Plant  a  row  of  Sweet  Peas  at  least  ten  or  twelve  feet  long.    Divide 

into  three  parts.    Plant  the  seeds  thickly  in  this  row.     After  they  appear  above 

ground,  thin  Part   1   to   two   inches   apart.      Thin   Part    2   to   six   inches   apart. 

Thin  Part  3  to  twelve  inches  apart.     Give  the  entire  row  the  same  kind  and 

amount  of  cultivation  and  irrigation. 

Result:    Describe    every   step    in    the    experiment    and    tell    what    difference 

thinning  had  upon  the  size  and  number  of  the  flowers  in  the  different  parts. 

Experiment  6.     Division  B 

Object:  Will  good  cultivation  have  any  effect  upon  the  growth  of  the  vines 
and  the  number  and  size  of  the  flowers? 

Method:  Plant  a  row  of  Sweet  Peas  eight  or  ten  feet  long.  After  the  peas 
appear  above  ground  divide  the  row  into  two  parts.  Cultivate  Part  1  the  very 
best  way  you  know  how.  Do  not  cultivate  Part  2  at  all.  Give  both  parts  an 
equal  amount  of  water  and  apply  it  in  the  same  manner  to  both. 

Results:  Describe  the  difference,  if  any,  in  the  growth  and  vigor  of  the  vines 
and  the  number  of  sprays  and  size  of  the  flowers. 

Training  the  Plants.  AYhen  the  plants  are  three  or  four  inches  high 
they  should  be  provided  with  something  to  eling  to.  Tree  boughs 
with  plenty  of  twigs  form  good  supports.  A  trellis  made  by  driving 
stakes  in  the  rows  and  stretching  twine  or  wire  between  them  is  often 
used.  Wire  netting  forms  an  excellent  support  but  is  more  expensive. 
The  supports  should  be  five  or  six  feet  high  at  least,  for  in  some 
instances  Sweet  Peas  will  attain  a  height  of  ten  to  twelve  feet. 
Examine  the  plants  often  to  see  if  any  shoots  require  training  or 
tying  to  the  supports.  This  not  only  makes  the  flower  bed  look  better, 
but  actually  helps  in  producing  better  flowers  by  keeping  the  vines 
straight,  which  in  turn  produce  straight  stems. 

Feeding  and  Watering  the  Plants.  By  the  time  the  vines  are  two 
feet  high,  the  plants  will  be  demanding  an  increasing  amount  of  water, 
and  if  there  are  no  rains  irrigation  must  be  practiced.  Much  better 
results  will  be  obtained  by  watering  the  plants  thoroughly  once  or 
twice  a  week  than  by  sprinkling  every  day.  Make  a  furrow  along 
each  row  of  plants  in  which  to  run  the  water.  A  deep  furrow  is 
better  than  a  shallow  one,  but  the  deep  furrow  must  not  be  closer  than 
ten  or  twelve  inches,  while  if  shallow  it  can  be  much  closer.  Run  the 
water  in  the  furrow  in  the  evening  and  then  fill  in  with  earth  the 
next  morning,  thus  preventing  the  furrows  from  drying  out  and 
baking. 

If  the  soil  is  very  light  or  poor,  or  if  extra  large  flowers  are  desired, 
the  plants  can  be  forced  by  feeding.  This  should  not  be  done  until  the 
plants  are  three  or  four  feet  high  and  have  produced  some  flowers. 

For  feeding  or  forcing,  the  plant  food  should  be  applied  in  a  liquid 


11 

form.  One  of  the  easiest  ways  of  making  Liquid  immure  is  to  put  some 
stable  manure  into  a  gunnysack  and  soak  it  in  a  tub  or  barrel  of  water. 
Stir  the  liquid  well  before  using  and  mix  one  part  of  the  liquid  manure 
to  about  twenty  parts  of  water,  before  applying  to  the  plants.  In 
using  the  liquid  manure,  it  will  be  better  to  first  irrigate  the  plants  in 
the  usual  way,  by  the  furrow7  method,  then  apply  the  diluted  liquid 
manure.    Once  a  week  wall  be  often  enough  to  use  this  fertilizer. 

Commercial  fertilizers,  like  nitrate  of  soda,  may  be  used  in  a 
similar  manner,  but  they  are  often  so  concentrated  that  they  must  be 
used  carefully.  Over-feeding  will  produce  a  rank  growth  and  poor 
flowers. 

Experiment  7.     Division  B 

Object:    To  determine  the  best  method  of  applying  water  to  plants. 

Method:  Plant  three  beds  of  Sweet  Peas,  each  two  feet  wide  and  four  feet 
long.  If  these  beds  are  in  a  row,  have  an  uncultivated  space  of  at  least  twelve 
inches  between  the  beds. 

After  the  vines  begin  to  run,  irrigate  Bed  1  by  sprinkling,  using  a  sprinkling 
can  of  known  capacity  or  otherwise  measuring  the  water. 

Irrigate  Bed  2  by  running  the  water  in  a  shallow  furrow  three  or  four  inches 
from  the  plants. 

Irrigate  Bed  3  by  running  the  water  along  the  row  twelve  inches  from  the 
plants,  in  a  deep  but  narrow  furrow. 

Use  the  same  amount  of  water  each  time  on  each  bed  and  do  not  cultivate 
any  of  the  beds  throughout  the  experiment.  Try  to  have  similar  soil  conditions 
for  each  bed  and  to  treat  them  the  same  in  every  way  except  in  watering. 

Besult:  Describe  the  difference  in  the  amount,  color  and  vigor  of  foilage 
and  the  relative  abundance  and  size  of  flowers  in  each  of  the  three  beds. 

Experiment  8.     Division  B 

Object:    To  determine  the  benefit  of  feeding  plants  with  liquid  manure. 

Method:  Prepare  three  plats  and  plant  to  Sweet  Peas  as  in  Experiment  7. 
Cultivate,  train  and  water  the  plants  in  each  of  the  plats  the  same  way.  When 
the  vines  are  three  to  four  feet  high  and  beginning  to  blossom,  water  Plat  1 
once  a  week  with  liquid  manure  in  the  same  manner  as  previously  described. 
Water  Plat  2  once  a  week  with  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  soda,  one  ounce  in  five 
gallons  of  water.  Water  Plat  3  with  ordinary  tap  water  once  a  week,  at  the 
same  time  the  liquid  manures  are  applied  to  the  other  plats. 

Caution. — Try  and  use  exactly  the  same  volume  of  liquid  on  each  plat  each 
time.    Cultivate  and  otherwise  treat  these  plats  in  identically  the  same  manner. 

Result:  Has  the  manure  water  or  nitrate  of  soda  solution  made  any  appre- 
ciable difference  in  the  growth,  vigor  and  color  of  foliage,  and  in  the  abundance 
and  size  of  the  flowers  on  the  different  plats? 

Care  of  Plants  and  Blossoms.  The  flowers  should  not  be  allowed 
to  wither  on  the  plant,  but  should  be  removed  just  as  they  have 
reached  their  prime.  This  will  greatly  prolong  the  blossoming  period 
and  at  the  same  time  provide  beautiful  sprays  of  flowers  to  make  the 
indoors  more  attractive. 


12 

Extra  large  flowers  may  be  produced  by  picking  off  most  of  the 
flower-buds  on  a  spray  or  branch  before  they  have  opened,  thus  giving 
the  blossoms  that  remain  an  extra  amount  of  food. 

Sweet  Peas  are  generally  very  free  from  fungous  diseases  and 
insect  pests.  If  the  Red  Spider  or  Green  Aphis  appear  on  the  vine 
give  the  vines  a  good  drenching  with  the  hose.  If  the  insects  get 
very  bad,  spray  the  vines  with  the  Whale  Oil  Soap  solution. 

Experiment  9.     Division  B 

Object:  To  demonstrate  that  the  process  of  removing  the  blossoms  on  Sweet 
Pea  vines,  before  they  winter  or  go  to  seed,  will  prolong  the  blossoming  period. 

Method:  Plant  a  row  of  Sweet  Peas  eight  or  ten  feet  long.  Care  for  the 
plants  in  the  best  manner  you  know  how.  When  the  blossoms  appear  divide 
the  row  into  two  sections.  In  Section  1  carefully  remove  all  of  the  flowers  as 
soon  as  they  reach  their  prime  or  begin  to  wither.  In  Section  2  do  not  pick 
a  single  blossom,  but  allow  all  to  go  to  seed.  Keep  a  careful  count  of  all  the 
flowers  (not  sprays)  removed  from  Section  1. 

At  the  end  of  the  season,  or  by  August  1,  1913,  determine  the  number  of 
seed  pods  on  the  vines  in  Section  2  as  well  as  the  number  of  flowers  remaining 
in  Section  1. 

Eesult:  Have  you  noticed  any  appreciable  difference  in  the  number  and  size 
of  the  flowers  produced  in  Section  1  and  2?  What  was  the  actual  number  of 
flowers  produced  in  Section  1?  In  Section  2  (each  seed  pod  corresponds  to  one 
flower)  ?  What  was  the  per  cent  of  increase  or  decrease  of  flowers  in  Section  1 
as  compared  with  Section  2? 

A  Suggestive  Score  Card  for  Judging  a  Sweet  Pea  Exhibit 

Division  A  of  the  Contest 

A  total  of  50  points  may  be  allowed  for  the  twenty  best  sprays  of 

Sweet  Peas  grown  and  exhibited  by  any  contestant.     A  possible  total 

of  50  points  should  also  be  allowed  for  the  notebook.     It  is  suggested 

that  the  points  be  distributed  as  follows: 

Sweet  Pea  Exhibit  Notebook 

Points 

Freshness  and  good  color 15  Notes  to  be  based  upon  outline  in 

Number  of  flowers  to  stem  (four)    10  Blank  A. 

Length  of  stem   (18  in.  approxi-  Points 

mately)   10 

Arrangement  of  flowers  on  stem..     5  Neatness  15 

Size  of  blossoms  10 

(Approximate  width  of  Stand-  Accuracy    20 

ard:   1%  in.  for  Spencers; 

iy±  in.  for  other  varieties.)  Completeness  15 

Total,  a  possible  50  Total,  a  possible  50 

The  number  of  points  awarded  for  the  exhibit  should  be  added  to  those  given 
the  notebook,  making  a  total  of  100  possible  points  in  the  contest. 


13 


From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  a  contestant  getting  only  second 
or  third  place  for  his  exhibit,  may  get  first  prize  on  account  of  a  good 
notebook. 

California  Junior  Experimental  League 

Sweet  Pea  Growing  Division 
The  awards  in  Division  B  of  the  contest  will  depend  entirely  upon 
the  notebook  submitted.  Contestants  should  take  special  pains  to 
carry  out  all  of  the  suggestions  given  in  each  of  the  experiments  and 
to  keep  a  full  and  accurate  account  of  their  work.  The  reports  should 
be  mailed  to  The  Dean,  College  of  Agriculture,  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, Berkeley,  by  August  15,  1913. 

Note. — Special  report  blanks  will  be  mailed  to  contestants  upon 
receipt  of  their  application  for  membership  in  the  Experimental 
League. 


The  cuts  used  in  this  circular  are  furnished  by  the  courtesy  of  C.  C.  Morse  &  Company 


14 


REPORT  BLANK  A 

For  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Contest 

HOW  THE  CROP  WAS  GROWN 

1.  Grown  by  ,  School 

2.  Postoffice    address    

3.  Area  of  plat  in  sq.  rods,  or  the  total  length  of  rows  

4.  Kind  of  soil, — loamy,  sandy,  clayey,  adobe,  peaty  

5.  Kind  of  crop  grown  on  it  the  year  before  

6.  Kind  of  crop  grown  on  it  the  second  year  before  

7.  Kind  and  amount  of  fertilizer  used  

8.  Cost  of  fertilizer 

9.  Date  of  spading  Hours  required 

10.  Depth  of  spading  in  inches  

11.  Additional  preparation  of  the  ground: 

(a)  How  many  times  hoed when 

(b)  How  many  times  raked  when 

(c)  How  otherwise  prepared  

(d)  Total  hours  work  of  preparation  

12.  Variety  name 

13.  Seed  procured  from 

Did  you  select  varieties  yourself? 

14.  Quantity  used  for  seed  

15.  Number  of  hills,  or  plants  grown  

16.  Date  of  planting  ,  191. 

17.  Date  when  plants  first  came  up  ,  191. 

18.  Date  of  each  irrigation,  if  any  ,  191. 

19.  Date  of  each  cultivation  or  hoeing  ,  191. 

20.  Date  of  first  blossoms  ready  for  picking  ,  191. 

.21.  Date  of  any  frosts  on  the  crop ,  191. 

22.  Number  of  specimens  selected  

23.  Date  of  selecting  specimens  for  exhibit  ,  191. 

24.  Notes  on  specimens  at  the  time  of  exhibit  

25.  Was  the  selecting  done  without  any  other  person  present?  

26.  Was  all  the  work  of  production  done  by  the  contestant?  

27.  Total  number  of  hours  worked  

I  hereby  certify  that  the  above  report  is  true. 


(Signed) 

Parent  or  Guardian. 


Teacher. 


15 


APPLICATION    FOR    MEMBERSHIP 
IN    THE 

SWEET  PEA  GROWING  CLUB 
(For  boys  and  girls  not  over  16  years  of  age.) 

Please  enroll  me  as  a  member  of  the  (School) 

Sweet  Pea  Growing  Club  of (city) 

(county),  California.     I  promise  to  abide  by  all 

the  rules  of  the  Club  and  regulations  of  the  Contest  as  outlined  in  this  circular, 
and  will  do  my  best  to  grow  a  prize  winning  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas  and  to 
present  a  complete  report  of  all  my  work-  I  wish  to  compete  under  the  pro- 
visions of  Division  A,  of  the  Contest,  as  outlined  in  this  circular. 

(Signed)  

(Address) 


Parents  or  Guardians  will  please  signify 
their  consent  by  signing  below. 


(Cut  this  out,  fill  in  the  blanks,  and  hand  to  your  teacher  or  principal.) 


APPLICATION    FOR    MEMBERSHIP 
IN    THE 

CALIFORNIA  JUNIOR  EXPERIMENTAL  LEAGUE 

(For  boys  and  girls  over  12  years  old.) 

Please  enroll  me  as  a  member  of  the  California  Junior  Experimental  League. 
I  desire  to  cooperate  with  the  College  of  Agriculture,  University  of  California, 
in  spreading  the  knowledge  of  Scientific  Agriculture,  and  I  will  try:  to  learn  all  1 
can  about  growing  plants  and  animals  and  taking  care  of  their  products.  Every 
experiment  I  undertake  I  will  carry  through  to  completion  if  I  possibly  can. 

(Signed)  (Age) 

( Address) 


Parents  or  Guardians  please  signify 
their  consent  by  signing  above. 


(Cut  this  application  out  and  send  to  The  Dean,  College  of  Agriculture, 
University  of  California,  Berkeley.) 


16 


APPLICATION    FOR    MEMBERSHIP 
IN    THE 

SPECIAL  SWEET  PEA  GROWING  CLUB 

FOR  INDIVIDUAL   COMPETITORS 

(For  boys  and  girls  who  cannot  join  a  local  club.) 

Please  enroll  me  as  a  member  of  the  Special  Sweet  Pea  Growing  Club  as 
there  is  no  Club  in  my  school  or  town  which  I  can  join.  I  promise  to  abide  by 
all  the  rules  of  the  Club  and  regulations  of  the  Contest  as  outlined  in  this 
circular,  and  will  do  my  best  to  grow  a  prize  winning  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas. 
In  addition,  I  will  present  a  complete  account  of  all  my  work. 


(Signed) . 
(Address). 


(School) 


Parents  or  Guardians  please  signify 
their  consent  by  signing  above  blank. 

(Cut  this  application  out  and  send  to  The  Dean,  College  of  Agriculture, 
University  of  California,  Berkeley.) 


